PGA HOPE Parris Island Victorious in Louisville

Louisville, KY – 12 PGA HOPE teams from across the nation were warmly welcomed to Louisville for the 2024 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup with an introductory banquet at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 11, 2024, just a week after the Kentucky Derby. PGA Professionals, PGA HOPE Graduates, and PGA WORKS Fellows mingled, enjoyed dinner, and bonded while watching horse racing from the track’s highest viewing deck.

SIMPSONVILLE, KY – MAY 13: Team Carolinas poses during the PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup at University of Louisville Golf Club on Monday, May 13, 2024 in Simpsonville, Kentucky. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)

Led by PGA of America Golf Professional Jeff Harris, the PGA HOPE Parris Island team triumphed at the 9th PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup. The team, comprising U.S. Veterans Kevin Strickroth (Marines), Earl White (Marines), Thomas Sams (Air Force), and active-duty Marine Corps member Joseph Reese, finished with an impressive -7 score to claim the title. A pivotal moment came on the par 4, hole No. 6, where Earl White sank a 60-foot putt for an eagle, sparking a birdie streak that carried the team through the course. This victory marks the third time a team from the Carolinas has won the Secretary’s Cup, following wins by PGA HOPE Charleston in 2019 and PGA HOPE Kiawah Island in 2021. To celebrate their victory, Team Parris Island toured the prestigious Valhalla Golf Club – home of the 2024 PGA Championship – and capped the day with a memorable photo opportunity with PGA Tour player Tony Finau. The Carolinas section will aim to defend their Secretary’s Cup title on home turf next year, with the PGA Championship set to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

While the competitive victory is significant, the true triumph lies in the personal journeys of these veterans as they enrich their lives through the game of golf.

About the PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup

PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup celebrates the PGA HOPE Program by providing a unique and memorable experience for our military Veterans and the PGA Professionals who work tirelessly to positively impact Veterans’ lives. This annual event in conjunction with the week of the PGA Championship, began in 2016 and is named after the Secretary of Veteran Affairs in recognition of the Memorandum of Understanding between PGA REACH and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Each team is made up of four Veterans from a PGA HOPE program and one PGA or LPGA Professional.

PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup Past Results

2016 – Team Long Island at Fiddlers Elbow Country Club | Bedminster, New Jersey

2017 – Team New Jersey at Charlotte Country Club | Charlotte, North Carolina

2018 – Team New Jersey at Whitmoor Country Club | Weldon Spring, Missouri

2019 – Team Charleston at Bethpage State Park | Farmingdale, New York

2020 – Cancelled due to COVID-19 

2021 – Team Kiawah Island at Osprey Point Golf Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort | Kiawah Island, South Carolina

2022 – Team New Jersey at The Club at Indian Springs | Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

2023 – Team Northern Texas at Penfield Country Club | Penfield, New York

2024 – Team Parris Island at the University of Louisville Golf Club | Simpsonville, Kentucky

Click here to view the 2024 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup Leaderboard!

About PGA HOPE Carolinas – PGA HOPE Carolinas (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is an adaptive golf program offered by our PGA Professionals as a rehabilitation tool to improve our Veterans’ quality of life by enhancing their mental, social, physical, and emotional well-being. There is NO COST to our Veterans. We serve our Veterans at twenty-six locations in North and South Carolina with an emphasis on helping those with physical and emotional disabilities that would most benefit from our initiatives.